Which ear piercings hurt the most?

This really depends on each individual's pain threshold and tolerance. Generally, lobe piercings hurt the least, and cartilage piercings are considered a little more painful. Please note that typically piercings done with needles are less painful and traumatic than those with a piercing gun.

How long does it take for a pierced ear to heal?

The healing time depends on where you get pierced and your body’s healing processes as this is different for everyone. Healing time can be anywhere from three to 18 months. Generally, lobe piercings heal quicker than the cartilage. Its important for you to follow all the aftercare instructions that your piercer would have given you as this can really help speed up the recovery process.

Types of Ear Piercings:

 Lobe Piercings: 

• standard lobe piercing

• transverse lobe piercing 

Outer Ear Piercings: 

• tragus piercing

• snug piercing

• forward helix piercing

• industrial piercing

• auricle piercing

 Inner Ear Piercings: 

• anti-tragus piercing

• helix piercing

• rook piercing

• daith piercing

• outer conch piercing

• orbital piercing

Lobe Piercing 

Lobe piercings are the most common ear piercing and usually most people's first piercing. They are located in the soft, lower ear region called the lobule. Depending on the size and shape of your lobes, you can get one or multiple piercings (seconds, thirds and even fourths) in the lobe.
This type of piercing is usually done at any time of chemist with a piercing gun, but we recommend you visit a proper piercing studio who can do it with a needle. Needles are less painful and cause less trauma to the ear, so as a result the piercing can heal faster.
Healing time: 3-6 months
Pain level: Low
Recommended Piercings:  You can wear any type of Dainty By Kate earring in this piercing. For newly pierced lobes you should stick to butterfly back studs or normal hoops. For older piercings that may have stretched any of our flatback or ball back studs would work well.
Piercing Size: Your standard lobe piercing uses a 20-gauge needle, which is 0.8mm thick.

Tragus Piercing

The tragus piercing is located on the tiny bit of cartilage that partially covers the entrance of your ear canal. Your tragus cartilage helps you hear rear-facing sounds, whilst also protecting your external ear and concha.
Healing time: 3 - 6 months
Its usually fully healed in 6 months however if you are using headphones every day, taking your Airpods in and out of your ear will cause major irritation and prolong the healing process.
Remember to use your piercing spray as recommended by your piercer to prevent any bacteria and debris infecting your tragus piercing.
Pain level: Mid
It does hurt more to pierce your tragus versus your lobe as it is thicker cartilage. But rather than the piercing actually hurting its more the sharp and short pressure on your ear canal that causes the discomfort.
Recommended Piercings:  It’s an ideal spot for flat back studs or sleepers
Piercing Size:
Usually, a piercer will use a 16-gauge needle (1.2mm thick) for a tragus piercing since it is cartilage, so we recommend 16-gauge earrings.
It’s not uncommon for the piercer to use an 18-gauge needle (1.0mm thick) so 18-gauge studs are a little thinner. If unsure just ask your piercer and they will be able to help!
Try to avoid using standard lobe earrings (ones that have butterfly backs) as these are 20 gauge (0.8mm) and may result in the piercing hole closing up/ becoming too small to use 16g jewellery pieces.
For post lengths for the tragus jewellery both 6mm and 8mm are the most common sizes.
If you’d prefer to decorate your tragus with a hoop or sleeper then recommend 5mm to 8mm (inner diameter) hoops for the best fit.

Helix Piercing 

Helix or also known as “cartilage piercings” are located on the upper outer cartilage of the ear. It can be located anywhere from the side of your ear (in line with your tragus) to higher up on the top curled edge of your ear.
Healing time: 6-12 months
Pain level: Mid
Helix piercings hurt less than other cartilage piercings as there is less nerve endings in the upper ear.
Keep in mind that helix piercings usually become red and itchy after a few days, this is completely normal and is just your body trying to heal.
Recommended Piercings:  
Flatback stud earrings that have a gauge of 16 (1.2mm) and a bar length of 6mm to 8mm.
Hoops are perfect for this placement as well and we suggest clickers for the easiest insertion of the jewellery. Depending on your desired fit you can choose between hoops that 5mm to 8mm for a snugger fit or hoops that are 9mm to 12mm for a looser fit.
We don’t recommend you use any studs that have a butterfly back as these can poke and irritate that back of your ear whilst trying to sleep.
Piercing Size:
Usually, a piercer will use a 16-gauge needle (1.2mm thick) for forward helix piercing since it is cartilage, so we recommend 16-gauge earrings.
It’s not uncommon for the piercer to use an 18-gauge needle (1.0mm thick) so 18-gauge studs are a little thinner. If unsure just ask your piercer and they will be able to help!
Try to avoid using standard lobe earrings (ones that have butterfly backs) as these are 20 gauge (0.81mm) and may result in the piercing hole closing up/ becoming too small to use 16g jewellery pieces.
For post lengths for the forward helix jewellery both 6mm and 8mm are the most common sizes.

Conch Piercing

A conch piercing sits in the inner cup of your ear, just above your lobe, and goes through the back part of the cartilage (it’s also named after a conch shell).
Healing Time: 6 - 12 months
Avoid touching the area and changing the conch pierced jewellery before it’s completely healed as conch piercings can get infected.
Pain level: Mid
 A piercing done by a professional with a piercing needle would cause the same level of pain as most cartilage piercings.
Recommended Piercings:  
Our flat back studs are perfect for a more discreet yet elegant look. Or our sleepers and huggies make a great statement piece.
If you’re not ready to commit to the piercing we also have a huge range of ear cuffs that look stunning and come absolutely pain free!
Piercing Size:
As with most cartilage piercings, your piercer will most likely use a standard 16-gauge needle that’s 1.2mm thick, so to prevent your piercing from closing up stick to 16-guage jewellery.

Forward Helix Piercing 

The forward helix piercing is situated just above the tragus, it’s the small outer rim of cartilage at the front of your ear. Depending on your ear size you may be able to multiple piercings on this section of the ear, or this part of cartilage may be too thin to even hold one piercing.
Healing time: 4-6 months
Pain level: Mid
The forward helix cartilage has more nerve endings than the normal helix, so it could be slightly more sensitive and therefor slightly more painful.
Recommended Piercings:  
Flat back stud earrings are the jewellery of choice for the forward helix piercing. It is also possible to wear small cartilage hoops (4mm or 6mm) which is going to give you a snug-fitted look and it will not get caught on everything like a larger hoop.
Piercing Size:
Usually, a piercer will use a 16-gauge needle (1.2mm thick) for forward helix piercing since it is cartilage, so we recommend 16-gauge earrings.
It’s not uncommon for the piercer to use an 18-gauge needle (1.0mm thick) so 18-gauge studs are a little thinner. If unsure just ask your piercer and they will be able to help!
For post lengths for the forward helix jewellery both 6mm and 8mm are the most common sizes.

Daith Piercing

The daith piercing pronounced “doth,” is located on the innermost ridge of cartilage inside your ear below the rook and hugs the cartilage inside your ear. It’s a challenging spot to pierce but none the less is very popular as it can showcase some beautiful clickers and hoops.
Healing time: 4-6 months
Pain level: Mid
Whilst the daith piercing is in a tricky spot, it shouldn’t necessarily hurt more than any other cartilage piercing, but it may take longer to pierce (up to 1o seconds) which can increase stress on the body.
Recommended Piercings:  
A daith piercing is the perfect spot to show off a front facing clicker, as it’s also the easiest type of jewellery to put into the daith due to curvature of the daith cartilage.  You can also wear a huggie or sleeper but it can be challenging to put in yourself, so ask a friend to help!
Piercing Size:
Given that everyone’s individual anatomy is different it’s particularly hard to recommend a diameter mm for daith clickers and hoops. We suggest 6mm for a snugger fit, 8mm for a comfortable fit and 10mm to really showcase that piercing.  Like all cartilage piercings stick to a gauge of 16 (1.2mm). If you’d like to showcase your new piercing with a curved barbell then one that has a post length of 8mm should be the perfect size that’s also comfortable.  

Rook Piercing

The rook piercing goes through the inner edge of the highest ridge of cartilage on your ear, making it the perfect little spot for a bar or hoop earring.

Healing time: 6-18 months
Due to it being a thicker part of cartilage healing time may take longer than just the average lobe piercing.  Try sleeping on the opposite side to your piercing to prevent irritating it and carefully follow the aftercare instructions.
Pain level: Mid
It’s a very thick part of cartilage that has to be pierced so it usually is a little more painful that piercing your helix or other thinner cartilage spots.
Recommended Piercings:  
Most piercing artists will insert a curved barbell into a new rook piercing due to the curvature of this placement in the ear.  We suggest using more dainty jewellery pieces in your rook since it’s a very narrow part of your ear.
We offer curved barbells which depending on how thick your rook cartilage is and how snug of a fit you’d like will determine which barbell best suits you.
Rook hoops are also very popular in rook piercings! You can use a clicker style hoop or any of huggies, but are absolute favourites are huggies with charms that can really elevate the piercing!
Piercing Size:
Your piercer will probably be using a 16-gauge needle that’s 1.2mm thick so typically use a curved barbell with 16-gauge thickness is used. But since the rook is such a thin part of your ear, you may want to wear a daintier earring with a slimmer post over time so we recommended trying an 18-gauge earring which is 1.0mm thick.
If you’d like to keep a barbell in your rook, ones that are 6mm in length will provide a snugger fit whereas 8mm will provide some room and may be more comfortable.
If you’d prefer a rook hoop then they can range from 5mm to 8mm but we suggest starting with a 6mm hoop as these can provide a comfortable fit.

Snug Piercing 

A snug piercing is located between the helix and the inner conch on the outer ridge of the ear’s cartilage.
Healing time: 4-6 months
Pain level: Mid or higher
The snug piercing goes through a thick part of cartilage that most individuals find quite sensitive so unfortunately the snug is ranked the most painful cartilage piercing.
Recommended Piercings:  
Most piercing artists will insert a curved barbell into a new snug piercing due to the curvature of this placement in the ear. 
We offer curved barbells which depending on how thick your snug cartilage is and how snug of a fit you’d like will determine which barbell best suits you. Barbells that are 6mm will provide a snugger fit whereas 8mm will provide some room and may be more comfortable.
Snug hoops can range from 5mm to 8mm but we suggest starting with a 6mm hoop as these can provide a comfortable fit. You can use a clicker style hoop or any of huggies, but are absolute favourites are huggies with charms that can really elevate the piercing!
 

Industrial Piercing 

Industrial piercings are basically a straight bar that connects a cartilage piercing on the top of the ear and another in the helix section of the ear. They usually take a little longer to heal because it's two cartilage piercings.
Healing time: 9-18 months
Pain level: Mid
The same pain as a normal helix piercing only it happens twice, so you may leave with a very red ear!
Recommended Piercings:  
Industrial bars are the most common piece of jewellery for this type of piercing.

Anti-Tragus Piercing

The Anti-Tragus is located adjacent to the tragus, just opposite the ear canal in the small curved area above your earlobe.
Healing time: 6-12 months
Roughly the same healing time as getting your tragus pierced.
Pain level: Low to mid
As the piercing goes through a thinner pierce of cartilage.
Recommended Piercings:  
Any of our flat back studs that are from 6mm to 10mm in length will work for this spot. Or mini hoops and huggies really show case this piercing, we recommend clicker hoops that are 6mm to 8mm in diameter.